Fans of the floodwall murals probably hope local author Edna Keffer writes a lot of books.

That's because on Monday she donated $1,100 from the proceeds of her third book on Boneyfiddle, “Farewell, Boneyfiddle,” to Portsmouth Murals Inc.

“I gave $1,100 from the sale of my first book, too,” Keffer said.

The money will go toward the $40,000 price of the Tour of the Scioto River Valley bicycle mural Robert Dafford is painting on Second Street near the Portsmouth Brew Pub.

Keffer also recently donated $1,400 for a bench at Alexandria Point. Her donations are in the name of her late husband, Allen “Frog” Keffer, who died about 14 months ago.

Her love of Boneyfiddle is behind the money.

“I was born at 212 Second St., when there were beautiful homes and hedges, lovely neighbors and backyard gardens,” Keffer said. “Boneyfiddle means home, it means a friendly place where years ago you didn't have to lock your doors. There was no crime, except for the occasional drunk walking the streets. No one had any fear.”

Keffer said Boneyfiddle can reclaim the glory it once had.

“People are showing more interest in Boneyfiddle right now,” she said. “Go down there and look at the crowds. But I feel sorry for Chillicothe Street.”

That street has been plagued by empty storefronts for several years.

Portsmouth Murals Inc. president Bob Morton said Dafford charges about $20,000 per floodwall panel. The TOSRV mural is two panels, hence the $40,000 price tag.

“He does such an excellent job,” Morton said. “The ideal thing about what Dafford does is that no two murals look alike. They're all different.”

“Farewell, Boneyfiddle,” may be a misnomer of sorts for Keffer's Boneyfiddle books. That's because she is planning her fourth book, “Hello, Boneyfiddle.”

“Farewell, Boneyfiddle” can be purchased at the Market Street Cafe in Boneyfiddle.

While Keffer's donations go a long way, they are not the only way of financing the murals, of course.

The murals committee plans to have its annual baseball banquet Jan. 16 at the Friends Community Center.

The banquet is the major fundraiser for the project.

JEFF BARRON can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 236.